Seatrade Maritime is part of the Informa Markets Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

International Windship Association granted IMO consultative status

IMO/Flickr IMO_HQ_London_Seafarer.jpg
The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has granted full consultative status to the International Windship Association (IWSA).

IWSA is a not-for-profit with over 150 members and was one of five organisations granted consultative status at the IMO, joined by the Grain and Feed Trade Association (GAFTA), Global TestNet, the Ballastwater Equipment Manufacturers' Association (BEMA) and the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC).

IWSA secretary general Gavin Allwright said: “There is still quite a perception gap when it comes to the uptake of wind propulsion. Currently, we have more large commercial vessels in operation using wind propulsion systems than all zero-emission fuel options combined and the signs are there for this to scale strongly in the coming years and yet there is a distinct lack of integration of direct wind propulsion at the heart of our industry’s efforts to decarbonise.

“The direct use of wind energy has great potential to quickly accelerate these efforts while also helping to lower costs dramatically across the board and facilitate the uptake of other low carbon energy and fuel options.” 

The association’s members include specialists, technology providers, designers, engineers and operators and it has been working with the IMO for three years via the Maritime Technology Cooperation Centres Stakeholder Advisory Committee. IWSA’s main areas of activity in wind propulsion are networking, promotion, education, incubation and facilitation.

We look forward to a close working relationship between our two organisations.” Said Frederick J. Kenney, Director, IMO Legal Affairs and External Relations Division.